How to talk about money

People rarely talk about money. That’s why when some veer towards that topic, others have no choice but feel uncomfortable. Avoiding any talk of money is almost impossible. So, when caught in that situation, here are some tips on how you can handle them.

Your salary

It’s never advisable to divulge your salary to everyone. You shouldn’t also brag about bonuses, commissions, and compensation packages. But if someone asks how much you earn, the safe response would be “I make enough to get by.”

Real estate

This one is tricky. Because even if you answer vaguely, transactions go to public records. If a neighbor is really eager to know how much you spend for your four bedroom Colonial, he can always go to the local county clerk’s office or search the Internet for it. Despite this, it doesn’t mean you’ll answer all questions right off the bat. You can just say that you got your home either below or above the asking price.

Cars

A flashy car will not be left unnoticed. If asked about the car you drive around, simply name the car and drop the topic. You don’t want people to be overwhelmed by your arrogance by talking more about its price tag.

Public vs. private school

It’s no secret that private schools are pricier than public schools. Sending a kid to a private school is regarded as a status symbol. In this sense, it’s just rude to name drop your child’s prep school at random people just to impress. Try to be polite by naming the school and explaining vaguely what you like best about their curriculum.

Your investment portfolio

Your investment portfolio should be treated as your salary – you shouldn’t divulge its exact value. Deflect questions by answering with estimations, with percentages rather than the value in dollars.

Bragging about one’s money is offensive. Know more about your friends and acquaintances by asking about themselves and not by their wealth (or lack thereof).

5 ways to save more money

Sometimes, you need not do something drastic or overwhelming for you to save money. You may start thinking about your day-to-day routine and see what things you can actually trim to save a few more dollars a month. Here are small things that could save you a bit more.

Dropping vices. You might not realize it but that pack of cigarette or two that you smoke on a daily basis actually amounts to something substantial in a month. Try to look at your other daily guilty pleasures at well. Could be that daily Chinese take out or that extra can of soda.

Buy in bulk. Buying in bulk definitely is cheaper. However, keep in mind to focus only on items that do not have a shelf life, for example, paper towels. Some items containing chemicals have active ingredients that might stale.

Unplug all unused appliances and turn off lights. Often overlooked but appliances when plugged even if not in use, still leeches off a few a bit of juice. Light, even if you’re using energy saving fluorescent ones still consume watts of electricity. Turning them off prevents waste.

Drop unnecessary subscriptions. How many of your existing subscriptions do you actually get to maximize. How about your phone? Your cable TV? Your magazines? Your newspaper? How many of them do you actually use or read half the time in a month. You might just be able to drop one or even all of them.

Avoid flooring your car’s throttle. Some driver drive as if there’s no tomorrow. Heavy right-foot driving actually just wastes gas. You don’t need to tap your car’s ponies when driving. Besides, even if you build up speed and only brake shortly afterwards, you’re just converting all the force into heat. Get more mileage by tempering how you speed up.